BARROW AFC chairman Paul Hornby is delighted to see the major pillars of the community all heading towards the same goal, with this year’s foodbank appeals being a roaring success.

Last week, The Mail launched its Feed Our Foodbank campaign, as we ensure that nobody in Barrow, Furness, Ulverston or Millom goes hungry this winter.

Working alongside the foodbank, the goal is to build its food stores up to 35 tonnes by the end of January, with readers able to drop donations off at our office on Abbey Road.

At the same time, Barrow AFC are working in conjunction with the Bluebirds Trust and local schools on their own annual appeal, with Hornby once again promising to double to amount of donations made by the club’s supporters.

So far, there is 17 tonnes of food waiting to be distributed at the foodbank.

Hornby said: “It’s great that everyone in the area is jumping on board and I think once you get a little bit of momentum, it starts to carry.

“Like us, The Mail plays a big part in our community and it’s fantastic that they and others are joining the cause.

“The foodbank appeal was better last year than it was the year before and it will probably be better this year than it was last year.”

AFC’s players will be getting involved themselves this week by picking up donations from schools, as well as giving out presents to children at Furness General Hospital on Friday.

The amount of food that has been gathered at the club’s Holker Street stadium and the Ulverston offices of J F Hornby & Co – where Hornby is the managing director – shows just how great the response has been in only one week.

The Mail has asked readers to purchase two extra cans in their weekly shop and donate them to the foodbank, while the Bluebirds will also be taking to the supermarkets as part of the cause.

Hornby said: “The foodbank is something that is close to a lot of people’s hearts and if you can give to charity at Christmas and help people out, then you’re going to get a good response.

“We’ve got a bit of a quirky idea next Friday, when we’re going to do a trolley dash around Asda, with there being a Team Hornby while [manager] Ian Evatt is going to be part of the other team.

“The idea is that the loser pays the bill, so we’ll hopefully be able to get around £500-worth of food between all the trolleys.”

The Bluebirds’ form on the pitch has improved while the appeals have taken place and Hornby is hoping the team can continue to put smiles on people’s faces as well.

“It’s a tough little run we’ve got, but there’s a good feel about the place at the moment,” he said.